The world of revolvers is bigger than I expected when I began diving into it. And it’s getting bigger.
It’s almost like the world of shotguns, where the good stuff is somewhat niche and often made by small companies. My journey into revolvers has been a fun one, and I’ve learned a lot. One of my big focuses with revolvers is learning to be somewhat decent at reloading them. This has led me to experiment with various techniques and methods, and along the way, I stumbled across a variety of loading devices. Some of the most interesting ones come from a company called Zeta6.
The World of Revolver Reloading Equipment
There are two main types of revolver reloading devices. We have speed strips and speed loaders. There are several different types of speed loaders and speed strips. Desantis, Bianchi, and Tuff Products make speed strips of varying calibers and sizes. HKS famously makes the “twist to release” speed loaders, and Safariland makes their “push to release” speed loaders. As such, speed strips and speed loaders have their pros and cons.
What Zeta6 Does Different
Zeta6 makes a variety of revolver reloading devices that are arguably more of a speed strip than a speed loader, but they blend elements of both types of loaders in some cases. And, they make reloading your revolver quick, which can be pretty dang important. Zeta6 produces four different loading devices for .38 Special and .357 Magnum revolvers using J and K frames, as well as a specific Ruger LCR variant.
The Zeta6 Loaders
J-Strip
Zeta6 started very simply by producing a slightly modified speed strip. Most speed strips would place the rounds in a straight line with equal spacing between each one. It works, but it could be done better. Zeta6 did things differently by chasing the spacing of the slots. The spacing of the J-Strip tucks two rounds close together, has a small space, then another two rounds, a small space, and a final slot for the fifth round.
J-Frame .38 Special handguns are five-shot guns with rather small cylinders. The J-Strip’s special spacing makes it easier to load two rounds, then two rounds, and then the final round. It’s quicker and more intuitive than the stock standard speed strip. This slight alteration helped improve the speed of the reload while maintaining the standard speed strip size.
SYM-Strip
At the behest of a law enforcement agency, Zeta6 designed the SYM-Strip. The SYM-Strip is designed to be symmetrical. It has tabs on both sides and can be reloaded with ease, regardless of which hand you use. The SYM-Strip keeps the same idea of spacing but alters it slightly. Instead of staging the rounds two – two – one, it’s staged two – one – two. It’s symmetrical all the way around.
That middle slot can also be left empty for a great grip, but you do lose the ability to load one round for better ergonomics. It’s still fairly small, and the user could trim one of the handles if they want to shorten it a bit.
J-Pak and K-Pak
While the last two loading devices haven’t been exceptionally different, it gets a little weirder from here on out. The J-Pak and K-Pak are the same design, just sized differently for J-frame and K-frame revolvers. These are speed strips but are rather different than anything we’ve seen before.
The Pak setups use staggered slots for holding your ammunition. They aren’t quite in a line but still have the minimalist size constraints of a speed strip. They are shorter than most speed strips but also thicker. Still, they drop into your pocket easily enough. The Pak designs arrange your rounds in a staggered formation.
The J-Pak has six slots but is designed to hold five rounds. With the J-Pak, you place three rounds on one side and two on the other, with one slot in the middle open for your finger. The K-Pak has six slots, and all six are designed to be filled and used. With the J-Pak, you can load three rounds at one time and then load the final two. With the K-Pak, you load three and then three more.
This is the fastest speed strip I’ve ever used. A normal speed strip requires three movements to load a five or six-shot cylinder. The J-Pak and K-Pak load their respective cylinders in two total movements. It’s faster, more ergonomic, and more intuitive to load.
J-Clip and K-Clip
The final load option is the J-Clip and K-Clip. Predictably, the “J” and “K” stand for J-frame and K-frame revolvers. The J-Clip holds five rounds total, and the K-Clip holds six. They are made of the same soft polyurethane as the speed strips, but the rounds are arranged in a circular pattern, much like a speed loader.
The various Clip designs combine the features of both a speed loader and a speed strip into one design. This makes them the fastest reloading device in Zeta6’s arsenal. I hesitate to call them a strip because, well, they aren’t a strip! The real benefit comes down to the J-Frame more than the K-Frame.
J-frames and speed loaders don’t mix. The speed loaders are too big and bulky and don’t interact well with the J-frame cylinder since they sit so tight to the frame of the gun. The J-Clip’s slim design makes it easy to reload five rounds at one time without running into your grips, cylinder release, etc. K-frames don’t have that same problem, but the K-Clip still offers a smaller profile loader than any speed loader design, and it doesn’t rely on a mechanical device for retention.
The Zeta6 Loaders In Action
Each of these devices is plenty easy to use. The small changes made to the J-Strip and SYM-Strip make it quick and easy to top off or fully reload your revolver on the fly. The J-Pak and K-Pak combine speed with easy concealability and easy-to-carry capability. The J-Clip and K-Clip give you an instant reload on the fly, and it’s really easy to fully load a J-frame in mere seconds.
I’ve used each of these tools and have been impressed. The J and K-Pak series are my favorite speed trips of all time, and for a J-Frame, the J-Clip is fantastic. There is nothing wrong with the K-Clip, but the J-Clip really shines since speed loafers aren’t an option. The Pak designs have to be loaded according to which hand you’re using them, but a small L and R on the Pak will guide you in the right direction.
Each of these tools was a bit stiff at first. However, over a short period and a few practiced reloads, they all loosened up a bit to be easy to use. Zeta6 has applied creative solutions to old problems. They even do it at an affordable price point. They cost less than 15 bucks, and you get two per package. That’s tough to beat, and I’m excited to see what Zeta6 will do next.
